You don’t want to hear your teenager was involved in an accident on the Harrisburg Pike, Route 272, the Fruitville Pike, or any road in Lancaster. Since your teen just obtained her driver’s license, however, you are extremely worried that may happen. One of the first things she wanted to do was drive with her friends as passengers. As a parent, you are unsure if you should allow that to happen.
Pennsylvania law prohibits teenagers from having more than one passenger under the age of 18 who isn’t a relative in the vehicle with them. However, this doesn’t mean you should allow your child to ride with anyone else in the car.
Passengers Are Dangerous for Teen Drivers
Wanting to ride around with her friends in the vehicle is understandable, but allowing her to do so increases her chances of getting into a serious car accident, and here’s why:
- Passengers are distracting. No matter what their ages, passengers are often distracting to any driver. Passengers move, talk to the driver, and exhibit a variety of other behaviors that can cause the driver to want to take her attention away from the road, which can cause an accident.
- Your teen may want to impress her friends. Having another passenger in the vehicle often prompts teenagers to want to “show off” while driving. This could mean by speeding, cutting other vehicles off, driving aggressively, or other dangerous actions. Such behaviors could cause your teen to get into an accident.
Make the Responsible Decision
Taking action and prohibiting your teenager from riding with passengers in the car could keep her and others safe. However, teenage drivers are not always responsible if a collision occurs. If the worst should still happen, the Lancaster auto accident attorneys of Schmidt Kramer are here to help.
We may be able to fight for your teenager’s rights and help you receive compensation needed to cover medical bills and vehicle repairs that occur because of a car crash. Contact us today to learn more.